The Society of the Moon and Stars

When the guns stopped firing

And the last bomb fell

The city looked up, and saw the face of God.

— Clinton Gallagher, Deseret Colonist and suspected member of The Society of the Moon and Stars

This society of the moon and stars is a loose organization of like-minded people, whose members are believed to include many of the leaders of the original expedition to colonize Deseret. It is believed that many leaders throughout Desereti history have been a part of the organization, controlling events from the shadows.

History

Before colonists set out for Deseret, Old Earth and the Sol System were racked by wars, economic exploitation, and failed political experiments. Many of the original colonists had experience with these issues first hand and were desperate to find a place where they could live fulfilling lives. While en route to Deseret, a few colonists met together in a support group where they could talk about traumatic events they had experienced.

This group was known privately as the Society of the Moon and Stars, based off the poem written by fellow colonist Clinton Gallagher. In Gallagher's poem, the "face of God" was a reference to star filled night sky that were finally visible after centuries of light pollution when the wars on Old Earth knocked out the power grids in many major cities. Belief has it that the members of this group made a commitment to guide Deseret towards a peaceful future, and protect it from foreign influence.

In XX DE Rivendell alderman Dwayne McClain claimed that he had lost his bid for re-election after having a falling out with the Society of the Moon and Stars. McClain went on to claim that only individuals who gained the blessing of the Society had any chance of being elected to elevated positions within government. His claims were largely ignored as the ravings of a sore loser, until he started pointing out a pattern of moon and star iconography in the architecture and art of many accomplished Deseretis. Conspiracy theorists would go crazy with speculation after the Taumatan composer Juanita Houston was recorded in an interview unconvincingly denying her membership in the Society.

In Reality

The Society of the Moon and Stars is a small organization, never numbering more than 25 men and women. The Society does not engage in politics as an organization, though individual members are typically very active on their own. The Society of the Moon and Stars instead focuses on finding up and coming leaders and artists, giving them a private place to talk about their experiences and their goals. The Society maintains a small library, filled with the memoirs and writings of past members. Most of these documents are available publicly, though the public is not aware of their connection to the Society.

The Society is particularly concerned about the Liberty Security Corporation, many of the writings in their library warning about foreign aggressors.  The Society is engaged in deep discussion to formulate a response.